Step Away From the Panini Press and Use This Trick Instead

Out of all the stupid cooking contraptions in the world, the Panini press has to be the stupidest.

First off, some of these giant clamp-like machines are exorbitantly expensive—like upwards of $250. Why? Well, that’s because there’s a sucker’s fee attached.

Sure, there are $20 Panini presses on the market, but the only thing worse than buying a Panini press is buying a Panini press that’s so cheap it’ll break after your third hot ham and cheese sandwich.

Second, Panini presses are just another thief of valuable kitchen counter and cabinet space. These machines are one-trick ponies that you’ll use a few time out of the gate, but then gradually forget about, and eventually begin to wonder why you ever purchased the dang thing in the first place.

Don’t use a Panini press to press your sandwiches. Use two heavy pans (like this one) to press your sandwiches.

The weight of the top pan presses the sandwich down, creating more contact between the bread and the pan and resulting in a crispier crust. Watch the video above to see how it's done with a cheddar prosciutto pear pressed sandwich.

Plus, pans can cook things that aren’t sandwiches. A list that includes, but is not limited to, crispy homemade home fries, chicken quesadillas, seared scallops, pork chops, schnitzel, shrimp gumbo, tacos, chili, shrimp paella, mussels, tomato soup, frittatas, pizza, macaroni and cheese, and the countless other meals you can make in the new Men’s Health cookbook, A Man, A Pan, A Plan.

A Part of Hearst Digital Media
Men's Health participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.